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Project Name: Public Health Scholarship Program (T52)
Applicant Title: RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
Abstract Text: Address: 683 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ, 08854 Project Director: Laura Liang Contact Phone: xxx-xxx-xxxx Email: xxxxxxxx@xxx.xxxxxxx Website: sph.rutgers.edu Grant program funds requested: $1,497,658 The goal of the Rutgers School of Public Health Scholarship Program is to increase the capacity of public health systems to meet the core public health functions, the Ten Essential Public Health Services, and decrease public health inequities and health disparities. New Jersey is one of the most densely populated states in the nation and one of the most racially and ethnically diverse. However, the public health workforce per capita is among the smallest and the wealth gap is among the largest in the country. A large proportion of governmental public health professionals do not have formal training in public health. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated striking health inequities across New Jersey and underscored the need for professionals with the skills and training necessary to address these issues in the state. Strengthening the public health workforce by incentivizing public health training and careers is fundamental for achieving health and wellbeing for all in New Jersey. Program objectives are to: 1) Enhance the knowledge and skills of the public health workforce by developing or strengthening community partnerships and linkages to identify employment needs, training opportunities, and to facilitate scholarship recipients’ employment post-training completion in state or local governments, including state, local, territorial, or tribal public health departments, and other public health-related organizations. 2) Educate the public health workforce to address public health inequities and health disparities and incorporate principles of social determinants of health into practice. 3) Educate the public health workforce to prevent, prepare for, and respond to recovery activities related to COVID–19, as well as other public health emergencies, by providing public health field experience (practicum) opportunities Proposed activities include receiving input from academic and community-based partners on educational and skills needed for public health workers (through focus groups and a Community Advisory Board); the recruitment and retention of scholarship recipients; the placement of scholarship recipients in Applied Practice Experiences (field experiences); the creation of eight skills-based training courses to augment our academic programs and post-employment training opportunities; and sponsoring job fairs and career panels annually to facilitate employment of scholarship recipients post-training in state or local governments and other public health-related organizations. Through this program, 86 trainees will be awarded scholarships (28 in Year 1, 29 in Year 2, and 29 in Year 3) to pursue an MPH or a Population Health Certificate at the Rutgers School of Public Health. Fifty-percent (50%) of these scholarship recipients will be from state and local public health departments and programs and 50% of scholarship recipients will be from underrepresented groups. The Rutgers School of Public Health interdisciplinary team with expertise in public health education, epidemiology, medicine, program evaluation, workforce development, health inequities, COVID-19 response, and critical administrative experience in higher education will allow for the successful execution of the program. Our program qualifies for funding preference based on serving students who are from disadvantaged backgrounds (35% underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities) and graduating a large proportion (21%) of individuals who serve in underserved communities.